The Rhythm of Life expressed in experimental films and live performance.

LET EVERYTHING HERE BE GROUNDED
Dirs: Sara Eelen & Bas Schaevers
BELGIUM 12mins

Words are formed in the landscape, giving a voice to nature, which has been endangered by humans. This poetic film aims to bring people closer to nature and to spark a conversation about grief and care for nature.

DO SHOOTING STARS EVER PASS EACH OTHER BY?
Dir: Ida Lasic
USA 6mins

A mesmeric animation film in which star-faced dancers find each other in a galaxy of connection and loss.

European Premiere

JUST ME
Dir: Ishvar Krishnan
INDIA 4mins

Memories, dreams, illusions … all clinging on to the ‘now’ to keep themselves alive. Will ‘now’ continue to be a slave to these, or will it kill them all and just be what it has always been – now?

PURPLE CAT
Dir: Josua Graf
GERMANY 5mins

A poet finds himself within the four walls he has built for himself. A typewriter, candlelight, a couch – one might think it’s the perfect retreat. But he is not alone. Time and again, a peculiar visitor makes her presence known: a purple cat.“ A poet finds he is not alone as a peculiar visitor makes her presence known: a purple cat.

UK Premiere

TOUGH
Dir: Barry Hollow
UK 2mins

A poetry film about the passage of life and the concept of freedom.

CARGO
Dir: Gizem Tataroglu
CANADA 5mins

Trapped inside the boxes, the migrants helplessly and frantically observe their surroundings. The protagonist begins to remember their past: how they once had a beautiful life, lost their child in a war in their homeland, and felt hopeless at their grave. Each migrant embarked on this journey in search of a “better life” and freedom. Throughout the process, their experiences are expressed artistically through dance. At the final stage of waiting, they all rebel and decide to tear open the boxes they are trapped in, fighting for their freedom. In their endless search for freedom, now they must rip apart these boxes to escape. In their endless search for freedom, now they must rip apart these boxes to escape.

PLAYING HOUSE
Dir: Jennifer Scully-Thurston
USA 13mins

Playing House is a cautionary tale of adventuring into a girl’s fantasy, the disappointment of that reality, rejecting a predetermined life and the vulnerability and uncertainty of taking destinity into your own hands.

A TRANSCRIPTION OF THE SHEEPBITER’S HANDWRITTEN CONFESSION
Dir: Anne Ciecko
USA 5mins

In this experimental videopoem (part pastoral, epistle, observational documentary, and memory narrative – but all true), the narrator, survivor of an unthinkable act of disfigurement, recalls a brief period of becoming both woolly and wolfen in the aftermath.

TEASING THE EDGE
Dir: Kavisha Mandalia
UK 5mins

A woman speaks to a long ago self, peeling back the layers, lifting the lid. Teasing the Edge is an experimental film which plays in the space between hope and grief.

CLOUDS
Dir: Fiona Maura
USA 5mins

The music video “Clouds” by Fiona Maura depicts a powerful journey of metamorphosis, breaking free from past constraints and emerging from the cocoon of trauma into a state of renewal and strength. Through a raw, intense dance duet with choreographer William Harris III, Fiona captures the emotional struggle of shedding corrosive connections and reclaiming herself. Blending movement and her expertise in sound healing, the visuals evoke a deep sense of transformation and empowerment. Directed with striking, evocative imagery, “Clouds” invites viewers to embrace their own journeys of healing and self-rebirth.

3 6 5
Dir: Matt Sedgley
UK 4mins

A spoken word poetry film narrating the internal dialogues, of overcoming long term anxiety and finding identity, spanning 3 6 5 days of the year.

STAR JUMPS
Dir: Cally Trench
UK 1min

‘Star Jumps’ is a very short animation film, which starts with a starry skY…

European Premiere

A FULLY EMBODIED WOMAN
Dir: Anna Kuzmina
USA 5mins

“A Fully Embodied Woman” is a short film that follows a female dancer’s journey of self-discovery. Through mesmerizing dance sequences and intimate conversations, we witness her exploring her identity and delving into her deepest thoughts and emotions. Set in her Brooklyn apartment, the film captures the dancer’s raw and authentic moments as she grapples with issues of sexuality, artistry, jealousy, and more. Ultimately, the film is a tribute to the power of femininity and its ability to express the complexities of women’s experience.

MY GREAT GREAT AUNTY ROSE
Dir: Lee Campbell
UK 3mins

‘Now as it happens, as it goes, “A whimsical poem!” exclaims Aunty Rose.’